Blood Bather
A blood bather '''is an immortal who gains their immortality and supernatural abilities from the mystical power present in human blood through variations of the ancient and occult practice of the Bathing Ritual. Overview Comprised of determined, willful, and usually egocentric humans afraid of death and the consequences of aging, blood bathers use the Bathing Ritual in order to remain indefinitely young, strong, and healthy for extensive periods of time. Through the Ritual they may also gain a number of additional benefits, such as healing and blood manipulation, alongside occasional drawbacks, including an addiction to blood or homicide. The process of becoming a blood bather is a difficult one due to the requirements of money, vast research on the very existence and nature of the Bathing Ritual, sources of which are often withheld in museums or the private collections of other blood bathers, and a strong enough resolve to allow the Ritual to function. Blood bathers lack an organized society of their own, composed instead of individual cults of hangers-on surrounding a single blood bather, oftentimes shallow mentor-student relationships between practitioners, and coalitions of like-minded individuals. The majority of their kind are mass murderers by nature, each with their own, often unwittingly, unique and reinvented version of the Bathing Ritual. Vampire Perspective Vampires and blood bathers often possess hostile views of one another, as the activities of a blood bather, which involve heavy amounts of exsanguination, can be confused for the activities of the Kindred and bring undesired attention from hunters. Other matters that cause Kindred to maintain negative views of blood bathers are competition for the same food sources - human blood - and the fact that the Bathing Ritual, across all variations, causes blood to become inert of Vitae and effectively useless for medical transfusion procedures. Werewolf Perspective Werewolves view blood bathers as abominations, more due to the effects of their activities upon the spirit world rather than their murder rates, and their ability to evoke the attention of hunters also serves as a major cause for concern. The demands of the Bathing Ritual often involve high amounts of death dealt in a short deal of time, which often causes murder-spirits to arise where a Ritual is commenced. It is also not unheard of for a blood bather to cause possible harm to Wolf-blooded kinfolk by using them in their Bathing Ritual. Mage Perspective Mages recognize the similarities between themselves and blood bathers, as both commit heinous acts in the name of supernatural power, yet many are too prideful to admit that their lust for power is at all similar to that which drives blood bathers. They recognize blood bathers as inhuman monsters, thus deserving of being destroyed through Magic, while other mages are less ethical and would prefer to strike dealings with blood bathers to study the workings of the Bathing Ritual. Promethean Perspective Prometheans engender obsession and hatred from humans, including blood bathers, and could become potential targets for the Bathing Ritual. There are a number of comparisons to be made between certain the Created and blood bathers, as both gain their supernatural abilities through the deaths of other human beings, and those of the Centimani Refinement also explore the darker aspects of mysticism as those who research and use the Bathing Ritual do. Changeling Perspective Many changelings possess strong, hostile feelings towards those who kidnap, torture, and murder other human beings, making them likely to oppose blood bathers and intervene in their activities; other changelings may act against blood bathers in order to prevent them gaining the notice of the Gentry. However, some changelings are more monstrous and inhumane, striking deals with blood bathers in exchange for whatever they have to offer, while some blood bathers may seek changelings for their bizarre quirks, such as those which can bleed forever. Hunter Perspective Hunters may consider blood bathers as yet another monster hiding within human society that deserves to be routed and destroyed, as they retain a measure of supernatural power and harm and kill innocents in order to empower themselves and survive. Less altruistic hunters, however, may pursue blood bathers for the research and information they have accumulated regarding the Bathing Ritual in order to empower themselves and bolster their own strength, either for personal gain or to use the benefits of the Ritual to combat other supernaturals. The Bathing Ritual The Bathing Ritual is an ancient and occult practice involving mass murder and bloodletting which allows ordinary humans, with the resolve and knowledge to make it work, to ascend to become immortal blood bathers by draining the living essence within mortal blood. Its origins are unknown to modern blood bathers, having roots in every culture that ascribed mystical properties to blood and practiced ritual sacrifice and bloodletting, ranging from ancient Aztec descent to Hungarian, Ugric, or even Roman origins. Some supernaturals theorize that the Bathing Ritual may even possess origins in their own forgotten history. Facets The exact requirements of the Bathing Ritual can vary either subtly or wildly between individual blood bathers. The Bathing Ritual is based around five facets: blood, bath, frequency, effects, and preparation, with each facet being expressed differently between variants of the Ritual. Certain versions of the Ritual may work for some while also failing to function for others - the main keys to a functioning Ritual involve a combination of desperation, willpower, and personalizing the Ritual to suit the specific blood bather's preferences. * '''Blood: (...) * Bath: (...) * Frequency: (...) * Effects: (...) * Preparation: (...) References Category:Immortals (CofD) Category:Chronicles of Darkness glossary